Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Forthcoming National DfilI-The
Hotel and Boarding House
Keepers Jubllant.
Extra Care in Guarding the Vaults Where
the Peoples Money Is Stored
The Free Zone of Mexico.
Jorrespondence Of the Gazette


are preparing to take care Of bigger
crowd at the national drill than ever be-
fore came here at one time except upon
the occasion of the Inauguration of new
president. Passenger agents of the
various railways, who were recently in
convention here, predict that the exceed
ingly low rates of fare which have been
agreed upon will result in the migration
of such q crowd as will tax the rolling
stock of the railroads OF he country to
the utmost. Three-quarters of q cent
mile is the rate which will be charged.
This will give the round trip ticket from
Chicago to Washington for SIP, and it
will without doubt result ia bringing
thousands of people here who have no
interest whatever in the national drill,
out will seize this opportunity for making
q pilgrimage to the Mecca of bridal
couples. One railroad man from West
! ern New York says that the Canadian
roads are preparing to join in with those
/ of the United States in Offering induce
ments to our northern neigh
/ bors to come and see what
we look like at headquarters. This
gentlemen says that the Canadians are
l.
tclass of people on this side of the Allan
Etic, and that at least 1000 may be expected
! from Lower Canada during drill week
Tne drill, by the way, is private specu-
lation, and will doubtless prove of mate
rial financial benefit to those who have
undertaken the labor OF preparing for it.
1t is said that the President has not yet
given the subject of the appointment of a
commission to examine the accounts of
the Pacific railways any consideration
whatever. A number of applications have
been made for appointments on this COM
mission. The President will not lack ma
terial from which to choose when he
makes up his mind to appoint. 1t is said
that he will select men Of national repu-
tatiOn, and that he will be in no hurry to
announce his choice.
The press dispatches have announced
the fact that the officials of the Treasury
have given orders that several men who
made frequent visits to the vaults should
no longer be admitted. These men have
been lingering around the department for
some time, and it was feared that their
designs upon the wealth which is stored
in the cellar was not altogether 8 proper
one. The de artment has for some time
past allowed visitors into the vaults be-
tween the hours of u and o'clock each
day. The enormous silver storehouse is
literally packed full-there is not room
for another bag-and naturally the sight
Of this vast amount of bullion attracts the
Cupidity of tmpeCunious visitors. 1t is 8
great many years since an attempt was
made to rob the Treasury, and no one has
ever tried to carry OF the coins stored
g since the Bland law made storage neces
. ssry. Beyond twenty-five or thirty watch
. men who are employed to watch the
. building when the clerks are gone
there is absolutely no protection what
= ever against robbers, and it is doubt
e Eful if any is necessary. 1t is possible
that a gang of thieves might secrete them
selves somewhere in the building anC
lperhaps they might be able to break int
. some of the smaller vaults, but the eX
s posed position of the building would MAKE
it an exceedingly dangerous undertaking
= and it is hardly likely that any thief would
have the hardwood to attempt 1t. Tn,
s fact that the building is not watched from
d the outside causes no comment Whateve
from people who know how things arr
conducted N this country, but the Eug
> lish visitors to the capital always wonder
. why q squad of soldiers are not detailed
i to parade in front of the Treasury build
ing by night, as is the case in London il
the neighborhOod of the Bank of England
I ard Ia Paris in front of the Bank o.
France.
! Secretary of State BaYard has received
p from Mr.. Allen, United States Consul a
q Piedras NegraS, Mexico, q description O.
the iona Libre, which is of great interes
ID American merchants who are looking
arH 70 bo If
, tiOns wi that porti of Mexico. The
IONA Libre, or Free Zone as jt is com
: monty called, is strip extending alona
the entire northern frontier of the Mtxi-
can Republic, fifteen miles in width, anC
reaching from the western mouth of the
Rio Grande to the Gulf Cf California
Without discussing the reasons for is
creation or its peTpetuation, Mr.. Aler
: states that it's continuance is grieyously
complained of, and works serious hard
ships TO the merchants engaged in bust
ness outside of its limits. A.
illustrative of It's injustice the Con
sui cites an instance Of the operations
of the ariff regulation governing the
zone. A & B. are merchants within the
znue; &. & d are engaged in similar
business beyond its limits; both houses
: purchase at the same time and place one
case CT canned peaches, cost price 50 so
/ import duties $3.50. A. & B within TIE
zone pay per Cent Of this amount, or u
cents, while from G. & D outside Of TIE
zone, the full duty Of 81 so is exacted. Ii
, will thus be seen that the difference paid
in duty is, in Itself, to the favored mer-
; chant OF The zone handsome profit on
j his investment, while his less favored
? competitor is obliged to charge au
amount SO much IN excess Of that
j.. Charged by the zone merchant that
5 he Is soon driven out of business,
and as an immediate result
:here Is not to be found single merchant
OF any recognized sanding within fifty
miles ofthe interior limit of the zone. The
4 import duties exacted are largely prohibi-
p i've and operate peculiarly sgainsS.the
American manufacturer by reason of, the
fact that those American agriculturafim-
plements saleable in this mSrket are sub
jeCt to this duty. There is an increasing
demand for American agricultural small
tools, and particularly Is this the case with
the American ploW. The principle obstacle
in the way of the development of our
trade with Mexico is found to be the dis
l..